Every October, believers across the world pause to remember the Protestant Reformation—a movement that reshaped the church and restored the gospel to its rightful place. However, historical reflection alone is not enough. As we remember the Reformation and its figures, we should be led to praise God. Reflection on the Reformation should not merely inform the mind but stir the heart. It should move us to genuine worship and thanksgiving.
Here are several reasons we should give thanks to God for the Protestant Reformation:
The Recovery of the Gospel of Grace
The Reformation was not protest for protest’s sake—gospel realities were on the line. At its heart was the rediscovery and revival of the gospel of the grace of God: the good news that sinners are justified by the free grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. The Reformers protested, sacrificed, and suffered to bring gospel light back into a church darkened by works-righteousness. Praise God that the gospel was recovered in the Reformation.
The Authority of Scripture Restored
The Reformers restored the sacred Scriptures to their rightful throne as the supreme authority in the life of the church and the believer. Sola Scriptura was their battle cry. The reason we hold the Word of God in our own language today is because of their reforming labor and sacrifice. The Reformation removed the loud noises of tradition and Latin that had silenced the Scriptures so that every believer could once again hear clearly the voice of God in His Word. We should praise God for the Reformation, for through it we have such rich and unhindered access to the Bible
Worship Reformed Around the Word
Throughout the Middle Ages, worship had been inundated and smothered by ritual and superstition. The Reformation reoriented and renewed the worship of God by revitalizing and emphasizing the reading, preaching, praying, and singing of the Word of God. The Reformers taught that true worship must be both “in spirit” and “in truth.” We ought to thank God that worship was returned to apostolic simplicity and purity in the Reformation.
The Priesthood of All Believers
The Reformation reminded the church that all believers—men and women, rich and poor—stand before God on equal footing through Christ. We do not need an earthly mediator in the form of a priest, for “there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). Every true believer now has bold access to the throne of grace through Christ, not just a select few. Thanksgiving should rise in our hearts as we consider the renewed knowledge and reality of free, continual, and confident access to God Himself.
The Revival of Biblical Preaching
As the Scriptures were restored to their rightful place, so too was the pulpit. Reformers like Luther and Calvin believed and taught that preaching was the chief means through which God builds His church. For nearly a thousand years, the sacraments had overshadowed the preaching of the Word. The Reformation righted this wrong. It placed the pulpit and the Word at the center of the church’s life and the believer’s life. Through preaching, God transforms hearts and nourishes His people. We should give thanks to God for the Reformation, for through it the primacy of preaching was rediscovered.
Conclusion
The Reformation was the work of God—bringing His people back to the truth of the gospel and, through it, reforming His church. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, men and women who contended for the faith once delivered to the saints. Let us prayerfully reflect on the Protestant Reformation and be moved to give thanks to God—for the light that shone after darkness, and for the gospel that continues to shine today.
